Non-Verbal Communication
by Kay Ross
Summary: Constanze realizes that Diana didn't talk a lot, much like herself. But precisely because of this, she notices the small details of how Diana cares for Akko in other ways. [Collection of related oneshots that lead up to romance]


**Hey guys! Reposting this because I wanted to include part (first part was a bit too short for my liking, hehe)**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own LWA!**

* * *

 _I. Moments_

Constanze, while tinkering on a new Stanbot two tables away from Diana and Akko in the library, came to a realization: Diana Cavendish didn't talk a lot.

Her myriad of talents and hard-earned skill shined so brightly that it tended to blind others to the fact she simply wasn't a big talker. She had no trouble carrying herself with grace and dignity through every conversation; she could address the entirety of the school and never flinch. That was it, though. Her words were succinct and professional—carefully picked to deliver the message and stay within the bounds of societal expectations. Nothing more, nothing less, and she liked it that way.

Constanze could _completely_ understand.

"I hate Magical Law," Akko groans loud enough for the mechanic to hear from her table. The brunette threw her hands up in defeat, sighing as she stretched and cracked her neck. "I mean I get that I need to learn it if I ever want to have performances and all, but it's just so _boring_!"

"You also need to learn it to pass, Akko." Diana deadpans, tilting her head towards the other girl for a few moments before returning to her book.

"And pass I shall!" Akko practically yells, puffing up her chest before plunging her nose back between the pages. Diana looks over to her every now and then, nudging her at the first sign of drowsiness, occasionally highlighting which topics Akko should focus on because Diana always spent more time studying what was most important.

Constanze opted to mind her own business, but she was a tinkerer—she couldn't help but pick up small details over time, like the fact that Diana was reading a Magic Law book as well, despite having already finished that course a year prior.

To her surprise, Diana lifted a graceful hand to hide a yawn. She seemed tired. Akko was oblivious, staring down into her book with fires in her eyes. The blonde looked over Akko's shoulder, softly muttering something Constanze couldn't hear.

"I—I see!" Akko's eyes lit up, looking at Diana as if she were all kinds of amazing. "I totally get it now!"

A stern look from the other witch was enough to remind Akko to be quite in the library, but the sheepish grin Diana got in return didn't look apologetic at all.

Constanze had intruded enough, she realized with a bit of guilt, and returned her attention to the unfinished Stanbot. She contemplated on adding a stun-gun feature, seeing as the magical semi-automatic it transformed into was a bit _too_ threating sometimes. Perhaps also a beverage or sweets dispenser? Remembering Jasminka, the little mechanic decided to go with the latter.

The most infuriating of all was the power supply! Sometimes, Constanze wished Professor Croix would come back. Despite the nuclear warhead (which she will never admit amazed her), the former professor had such an intricate understanding of magic and its conversion to power. She wished she could consult, but _never mind_ , she would have to settle for what she's learned in lectures and notes which Croix was so kind to leave for her. Her hand had gone on autopilot, sketching out plans and equations, line after line, seeing if there was a way to make Stanbot's energy consumption sustainable enough to handle more than four transformations per day when—

Akko was snoring.

Constanze, pulled out of her work-flow, checked her watch in passing—it was already 9:47! She had gone nearly four hours alternating between her tinkering and observing, and now closing time was here. She picked up her tools and rolled up her schematics, pausing only to observe the two other girls.

Diana was leaning on her elbow, her face cradled by her palm while she spent another few moments looking at Akko, passed out on her book. Without waking the other girl, Diana carefully picked up Akko's littered notes, setting them aside in a neat pile before moving to tap Akko's shoulder—but suddenly pausing. She settled for brushing back the hair that was covering the brunette's brow.

Stanbot (the working one) waddled over the blonde witch, "Closing Time! Closing Time! Closing Time!" it chanted on low-volume.

"Indeed. Just give her a moment." Diana looked up to Constanze, acknowledging her presence with a small nod.

Moments are important to Diana—she was a very busy person with many things to do.

 _But even if she didn't talk much,_ Constanze thought to herself while she stepped out the library, leaving behind two tired witches, _she spent more time on what was most important._

* * *

 _II. Proximity_

Proximity—a technical term, one that Constanze was used to encountering in her machinations. Stanbot's processing unit is proximal to his main power source; his robotic limbs distal from his rectangular head.

Carpenters and mechanics always kept the things they needed in short proximity of themselves; it was practical, and it was secure.

As if to reaffirm the thought, Constanze pulled out a wrench from her ever-present tool pouch before examining her latest failed contraption.

"I actually thought I was going to die!" Akko whined, tears at the corner of her eyes.

Their typical group of friends had a free afternoon to lounge about in school; Akko had taken it as a chance to get on a broomstick and try _really_ hard to fly. After several (failed) attempts, Constanze caved and offered a juiced-up version of the mechanical broom she made for Akko after the Wild Hunt.

In true Akko fashion, it ended in disaster. Good thing she put an emergency eject button and parachute landing gear.

"Please refrain from moving so much." Diana knelt in front of Akko, who was resting on a bench.

"Ouch! _Diana_! Why don't you just use magic?!"

"Because it's just a cut." The blonde skillfully dressed the wound on Akko's knee. The antiseptic stung, but did its job well. "It would be wasteful of energy we're trying to reserve."

"But the Grand Triskelion's back! We don't have to worry about that anymore!" Akko pouted, crossing her arms while Diana secured the gauze.

"And was it not that kind of thinking that led us to disaster in the first place?" Diana raised an eyebrow.

Akko stuck out playful tongue. She _hated_ it when Diana was right.

Constanze approached the pair in the middle of Akko's fit, carefully examining the landing gear attached to Akko's torso before having Stanbot pick it apart for improvement.

"H-Hey!" In a split second, Akko went from whining to laughing as two Stanbots scaled the bench and her legs to reach her torso.

"Thank you, Constanze." Diana said succinctly, nodding towards an already-okay Akko. Constanze gave her a quick grunt and a thumbs up before scurrying away with scrap metal and gears.

She set her tools down near Amanda and Lotte, and three heads turned towards Akko who had a sudden outburst.

"Really!?" Akko's eyes were glimmering.

"I simply want to ensure you don't die—"

"Let's go! Let's go now!"

"Did she really just convince Cavendish to do that?" Amanda looked a little bit impressed at how Akko was dragging Diana with one hand and steadying a fresh broom (where did she even get that?) with her other one.

"I guess its for the best," Lotte giggled, "but is it really all that surprising that she did?"

"I mean they kinda' hate each other, y'know!"

Lotte simply hummed to herself, looking towards Constanze's direction before watching Akko and Diana go. "Do they really?"

Oh. Was that one of those 'knowing looks'? She supposed Lotte would have noticed it too.

"We're flying!" Akko happily yelled, already hovering several feet above the ground with Diana supporting her from behind.

Whatever Diana had mumbled in reply, they were too far away for Constanze to hear and Akko seemed too elated to care. So instead, the blonde simply smiled. It was a small, fragile thing, and all of it was for Akko.

It was gone in a moment (this was _Diana_ after all), and the Cavendish looked like she was giving Akko some pointers, to which the other girl vigorously nodded.

"Yosh!" Akko yelled from above, pumping her first in a battle cry while her shrill voice echoed for everyone below to hear. Diana, unfazed, reached around Akko's waist to hold the broom so that she could steer it.

"Do a barrel roll!" Akko yelled.

"…" That was probably a no.

"Nose dive into the ground!"

"…" Diana adamantly shook her head.

"But Diana!" Akko whined, "I want to—"

Whatever Akko wanted was cut off by the blonde leaning forward and pressing against Akko's back. They began to accelerate at a steady pace, and all of Akko's impatience was replaced by an unbridled look of awe. They circled down low, with Amanda yelling a comment or two and Lotte cheering Akko on.

Contentment was a difficult emotion to identify— most especially since Constanze didn't have the best emotional range herself—but if anyone would ask her how it looked, she would direct them to the two witches flying in circles a little above. The lesson had turned into leisurely cruising, with Akko's eyes and hands reaching for faraway wisps of clouds while Diana held her steady by the waist. Diana must have nagged her again, because Akko turned red and indignant, but to her surprise Diana's shoulders looked like she they were shaking. She was… laughing?

Huh.

She looked back down to where she was re-calibrating the emergency parachute deployment mechanism.

What a concept.

A few mishaps later, however, Diana looked like she had about enough.

"Tough time?" Amanda taunted. "I bet I could teach Akko as well as you did, Cavendi—Ouch!"

Lotte had elbowed her square in the ribs.

The broom came to a slow descent, hovering near the grass while Akko continued to gush. She was wide-eyed and smiling, "—and did you see how it looked _above_ the clouds?! When we were going after the missile, we never had time to stop and stare you know!"

Diana, soft blues eyes and enraptured, simply smiled at the brunette's enthusiasm.

"And the school grounds!" Akko's mouth was a solid 'o'. "They looked amazing from up there! Alcor was flying around Professor Ursula's tower and—and—I could see the Sorcerer's Stone being all glowy and stuff, and also I didn't know there were red blooms near the lake!"

They were only a few inches off the ground by now, but Diana held her still. "Thank you, Diana!" Ako grinned, giggling while she leaned back into Diana, putting her head on top of the blonde's shoulder to look up straight into the clouds. "You know, back in Japan, the treetops…"

"Let's go?" Lotte softly offered to Constanze and Amanda.

The mechanic nodded. This was an acceptable course of action. Amanda was about to disagree when Constanze whipped out the good old semi-automatic.

"Going, going." Amanda held her arms up defensively. "No need to shoot me, small, angry roommate."

Constanze took one last look over her shoulder while they walked away: the two hadn't budged an inch away from each other.

That made sense, she supposed. Diana didn't talk much but she was practical—she would keep the things she needed in close proximity.

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 **A/N: Hello! Parts 2 & 3 are likely to be uploaded together, so hope you leave a review and let me know what you think! ;)**

 **xoxo,  
Kay Ross**


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